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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. track — a path
  3. spring — a coil
  4. snap — to click
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — a song
  11. spring — of water
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. board — a committee
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mug — a face
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spring — the season
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mug — a cup
  22. track — to keep track
  23. craft — boats
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com